Forced Together, Torn Apart
by Il Cielo Piove delle Stelle
Summary: Max and the gang meet a flock of four mutants, and the leaders of each flock hate eachother. Will Max be able to settle her differences with this new leader? Let's start with NOT murdering eachother at the breakfast table, shall we? Faxness. OCs.
1. Chapter One

"_RUN FASTER_!" I scream as I guide my flock out of the school. We'd been there long enough, and now we are escaping. My feet pound against the ground, and I know the soles of my feet will be sore in a few hours. My flock is running ahead of me, and is trying their hardest. Not hard enough, I decide when I look back to see the Erasers gaining on us. I turn back to the flock and scream "RUN!" They obey with effort and duck their heads like angry bulls on the charge. We're almost out- I can see a large, full-body window at the end of the endless hallway we're fleeing through. It looks thin, but then again, things aren't always what they seem. "Keep going!" I command as I see my right-hand man hesitate, but at my command, he nods once, knowing it is meant for him. The others are speeding up, gaining momentum for the collision. Suddenly, to keep my flock safe, I make a descision. "Let me through!" I order. "I'm going to smash the window out so you can get out!" The three flock members in front of me nod solemnly, and I find myself bulleting towards the glass window. Forget covering my head for the impact; I throw my fists into it and shatter a good amount of space. They should be able to get out easier and unharmed. As I'm in the air, my "gift" unfolds, revealing wings like an eagle's. I was grafted with eagle DNA, so it was only predictable my wings turned out to be copies of an eagle's wings.

I hear wings unruffle behind me and count each pair. One... Two... Where's the third? Where's my third flock member? I turn and gasp angrily. An Eraser has the back of her hospital gown in his clutches, cackling like a maniac. The other Erasers are falling behind in stamina, looking like death. But that Eraser is living it up, unaware that I'm beelining right towards him. Avoiding my third flock member, I jam my feet into his torso, making his breath fly out in surprise. He falls back, dropping my third member. My hand shoots out and wraps around her thin waist before she can hit the metallic floor, lifting her into the air. I look straight ahead as we fly, and once I reach the other two members, I nod once to the northeast. If we fly continuously, we'll reach our home in the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Once we're far enough away from the school, I recite my plan, and –unsurprisingly- the flock obeys happily. I look down at the girl in my arms.

"Ryu, are you okay?" I murmur. She looks up at me and smiles, nodding.

"Uh-huh. I'm okay." Her hand, so much smaller than mine, pats my arm reassuringly. She suddenly frowns. "I must be heavy."

"That's okay. You're fine. I'll let you fly in a few minutes, though." I love this girl. Love, love, love her. She's the youngest in our flock. Like a daughter to me. What would I do without her? Absolutely nothing.

She is only five. Her name –the one she gave herself- is Ryu. She told me, when we first met at the school, that she over heard a few female whitecoats talking about baby names. One of their own was pregnant, I suppose. But anyway, she heard them say Ryu meant dragon, and she immediately fell in love with the name. So now, everyone in the flock calls her Ryu. Ryu is pretty. Her hair is long, uncut, and slightly wavy. It is the color of an acorn. Her skin is dark- she is African American. Her eyes don't fit in with her brown look- they are a vibrant, electric green. They're the prettiest to look at- like a famous diamond accented by the perfect lighting. She is pretty. I don't know why she is my favorite, but she is.

My second-in-command veers over to me. His light hair is emphasized by the sunlight. Ryu giggles at me before dropping out of my grasp and spreading her own wings. Her's are the wings of a sparrow.

My right-hand man is two months younger than me. I am fourteen, and so is he. His name is Darren. We all call him Ren. Darren is _very _cute. Handsome, even. But I will never admit that. I'm not even sure I mean it. Darren has eyes that rival the sky on a cloudless day. Almost as pretty as a lake near our house. We named it Sapphire Lake, after the way the sunlight makes the rippling water look like the sapphire gemstone. His hair is a neat color- a bleached blonde color, almost white. His skin is sunkissed, making him look like the kind of boy who goes to the beach everyday. He is lean, too. Muscular. His tropical look is the opposite of his wings. They are of a raven. Deep, endless black feathers on his wings make him seem out of place with his sunny exterior. He hates it, but I beg to differ.

He smiles softly. "We did it."

I nod back, looking solemn. "I should have done it earlier." Then I notice a small gash on his arm, dripping blood down his forearm. "Why didn't you tell me you got hurt?"

"Huh?" He looks down at his arm and chuckles. "It doesn't hurt. You're too protective."

I don't know what to say to that, so I stay silent, staring ahead. I am protective, but I don't think I'm _too _protective. It's to keep them alive. Is that so bad? I start thinking too hard about Darren's arm. Did anyone else get hurt too badly? Oh well. I know we'll all get hurt sometime. We already have, beyond repair.

I look at the remaining person in the flock and smile. "How are you holding up over there, Gale?" He looks over at me and smiles, trying to look hyped up.

"Great!" His voice is empty of tiredness, but I can see it in his eyes.

"Are you going to be okay to fly to the house? We're only..." I look down at our destination. We've been here before, so I know where we are. We're above Mesquite, Nevada. Almost home. "We'll be home in about three hours. Can you tough it out until then?"

"Of course I can!" He nods once, a determined look in his eyes. I smile.

Gale is the second youngest in our little group. His hair is russet, and always falls in different directions around his face. His eyes are a creamy green color. They look like the fabric on an elegant couch if you think about it. He named himself Gale because his brother was named Gale, but died at the School. That's what he told us. He said he wasn't always an only child with a sad smile on his face, and then dismissed it, deciding on a much happier topic. Like, "What's for breakfast?" or "Can we go flying?" He is definitely the most optomistic in our group. No "buts" about it.

Then, you have me. I am fourteen, and Ryu often describes me as pretty, or beautiful. I disagree. My hair is long- it's never been cut. It dangles down to the small of my back in a tight braid. It's the color of coal or black ink. Ebony. My eyes are light brown- like the skin on a coconut. I used to be taller than Darren, but he outgrew my by an inch. Not much, but I still don't take kindly to being shorter than him. My skin isn't as tan as Darren's, but I'm not pale.

I notice the Uinta Mountains not too far from us and grin. "We're almost home!" I cheer to the others, who whoop and laugh. We're one big, happy family. Me and my flock. My family. My friends. We reach the house, which isn't exactly a house. It's a cottage –a large cottage- sitting on the side of a mountain. Each of us land, one by one, and head into the house. We stop cold when we see six kids inside.

"Who the hell are you?"

* * *

Continue...? Don't continue...? Review Please.


	2. Chapter Two

Recap

I notice the Uinta Mountains not too far from us and grin. "We're almost home!" I cheer to the others, who whoop and laugh. We're one big, happy family. Me and my flock. My family. My friends. We reach the house, which isn't exactly a house. It's a cottage –a large cottage- sitting on the side of a mountain. Each of us land, one by one, and head into the house. We stop cold when we see six kids inside.

"Who the hell are you?"

End Recap

* * *

They all stare at us in slight shock. Why? This is our home! I level each one with a glare and step forward, out of the group, to indicate I mean business. "Do I need to ask again?"

They don't answer.

I narrow my eyes and survey each one. There are three that seem to be the oldest. One girl with dirty blond hair and chocolate eyes. The next is a boy of black. The last is a strawberry blond with eyes devoid of pupils. The remaining three are younger. One African American girl with wild hair. The next a boy with an innocent stare and a fair-haired fringe. Lastly, a girl who looks suspiciously like the innocent-looking boy. Who are they? Certainly not anyone I know.

"You're right." The smallest girl nods once. "You don't."

Everyone looks at her in surprise and confusion. I gasp, realizing she just answered an unspoken conflict. "You...?" I can't understand what's going on. How?

She giggles. "I read minds!"

Wow. I'm honestly surprise. Testing it out, I think _what are you, little girl? _

"I'm just like you. Everyone in this room has avian DNA in their system." She stares directly at me, ignoring everyone else's shocked protests and gasps.

_And you're here why? _I think in irritation.

"We _thought _this was a random hiker's cabin, but I guess we were wrong!" She shrugs nonchalantly, grinning childishly at me. I can't help but think of how much she looked like Ryu. At that exact thought, she turns to Ryu.

"You're Ryu?" She asks curiously.

"Angel!" The eldest girl lunges forward, grabbing "Angel's" wrist and yanking her back. She looks angry and irritated and confused. Oh, so we're on the same page.

"Who are you?" She snaps. I narrow my eyes. Oh, hell no.

"I believe I asked you first." I counter. There is no way I'm revealing my identity to her first.

She looks extremely peeved, but turns to the five children behind her. She nods once before turning back to me. "I'm Maximum Ride. This is Fang-" she gestures toward boy in black "-Iggy-" she gestures to pupil less eye guy "-Gazzy-" innocent looking boy "-Nudge-" African American girl "-and Angel." Mind-reader.

"That's just wonderful." I smile sarcastically. She narrows her eyes to match mine.

"What about you?"

I pause, thinking it over. If I tell them, they can use it against us. How? I don't know. I just know they can. If I don't tell them, I might start a fight with this Maximum Ride and her friends. I suppose I didn't want that. And if I think she will harm us, I can always kill her. I see Angel wince, staring at me with wide eyes.

"Fine." I finally say. "My name is Ria." I'm proud to say it. I know it means obstinate, rebellious conqueror. I don't know how I know that, but I do. I nod at Darren and he smiles.

"I'm Darren," he flashes a sunlit smile. "I'd say it's nice to meet you, but I don't want to lie." That's Darren for you. Sharp and snappy at times and nice and friendly at others. Another thing I love about that guy. Notice how I said about him. I do not love Darren.

"Hello," Ryu steps forward, next to me, and grabs my hand. She gives it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm Ryu."

"My name's Gale!" Gale hops forward, in between Darren and me. I can't help the small smile that forms on my face.

"Now that introductions are finished..." I look toward Maximum Ride with steel in my tone. "Good-bye."

She blinks, looking affronted. Darren looks at me hesitantly, but doesn't refuse. He doesn't like this any more than I do. I am just able to be meaner than him.

"Wait." The calm, quiet voice of Ryu reaches my ears, and I look down at her.

"Hm? What is it?" I ask, kneeling down to her level when she gestures. She puts her lips by my right ear and whispers to me.

"They're like us." She says. I nod.

"And...?" I press gently.

"And I want to know what they're like. Can they stay since they don't have anywhere else to go?"

I sigh and grimace. We don't know these people, Ryu! I want to tell her. But I don't, because she has a point. They have no where to go. I'm starting to regret leaving as late as we did from the school. If we left earlier, would this have happened?

"Ryu..." I murmur, shaking my head. Her eyes are staring up at me, not in sadness or guilt or anger. But it is hope she's staring at me with. "Why do you always win this sort of fight?" I persist softly, chuckling. Her eyes widen and she grins. We're no longer whispering.

"That means...?"

I sigh again, running a hand through my hair. "Yeah."

She giggles shrilly and bounces over to Gale, whispering in his ear. His eyes widen and a smile spreads on his face. He nods once, looking up at me with his eyes nearly screaming "Is it true? Is it true?" I give one subtle nod, smiling softly when he throws a fist into the air. I look over at Darren, who smiles slightly, nodding in approval. I grin at him and shrug, gesturing to Ryu. She got me.

As he passes me, he whispers a barely audible "Whipped," before rushing forward to greet the newcomers. I stare after him, mouth agape. Okay, so maybe he isn't all that nice. But I'm fine with him being a jerk one minute and a caring, teddy bear the next. It suits me.

I follow behind him and greet the others. I don't know where we'll get the space for everyone in this house. It's big- but I'm not sharing a bed. No way in-

"You won't have to." Angel cuts into my thinking. I grind my teeth in frustration.

"What do you suggest?" I inquire, upset that she keeps reading my thoughts. Where's the privacy to that?

"We can sleep on couches." Maximum Ride steps in. "We don't mind. We'll sleep on the floor. You have your beds to yourselves."

I stare at her, considering. "Hm... Fine," I finally agree, and I see Gazzy and Iggy high-five. I almost smile, but I refrain. Looking out the window, I see night falling. I clap my hands together once, loudly. My flock turns to me. Maximum Ride and her group just watch.

I direct my attention to my flock. "Alright, guys, time for bed. We're going to get up bright and early tomorrow. I'll go hunting, Darren will cook what I get, and you three will do what Darren says while I'm gone." The three younger ones groan and whine, but soon stop at my amused smirk. They frown, huffing dramatically before heading to their rooms. I laugh after them, and Darren just smiles. I turn to him. "And as for you... don't make anything too spicy. Remember what you did to Gale's eggs that one morning? He-"

"Ran off screaming 'water! Water!' I get it. Keep the spices on a low." Darren nods once, trying to keep the amused tone out of his voice.

"Oh, and one more thing." I look down the hall towards Ryu's room. "I'm taking Ryu with me so she can learn how to hunt."

"So you're leaving Gale to me? What am I going to do to entertain the kid while preparing to cook?" He looks at me incredously.

"You'll think of something." I ruffle his hair, and then realize I have to stand on my tiptoes to do it. I hate being shorter than him.

He grunts and heads off, toward his room. I turn to Maximum Ride and shrug. "So we've got blankets in that closet," I point to a closet by the front door. "And... I have to know something."

They look at me curiously, but their eyes look guarded. They don't trust me. Smart kids.

"What are you guys?" I narrow my eyes to show it's _not _going to fly if they don't answer.

Maximum Ride looks at Fang, and he nods once. She turns to me, looking reluctant. I'm not that bad. "Okay, fine. We'll tell you if you tell us."

I look at Angel questioningly. _Don't you already know? You must've heard us land. _

"We want to confirm our suspicions." She replies chirpily. Whoa. Large vocab for such a young girl.

"The DNA injected in me was Eagle DNA, Raven for Darren, Swallow for Ryu, Black-billed Magpie for Gale." I fold my arms across my chest, keeping eye contact with Maximum. She looks directly into my eyes without hesitation.

"I'm not sure what _breed_ we have, but we're Avian-Americans, like you."

_Oh, that's... wow. More Avians? I'm starting to really detest the School... _

"So do we!" Angel giggles and smiles up at me. I turn to her exasperatedly, but stop cold. Staring up at me isn't Angel- its Ryu. I sigh. Great. Just what I need. Another Ryu. I find myself smiling at her.

"Good."


	3. Chapter Three

"Rise and shine, kiddies!" I burst into Darren and Gale's room. I get groans in return but am pleased to see they're getting up. Slowly, but they're getting up. I grin and head back into the kitchen. Maximum and her flock are up, but they're huddled together, talking. I respect their privacy and head straight towards Ryu, who is sitting at the counter yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Hey, girlie," I smile softly, ruffling her hair. She protests tiredly and smiles up at me.

"Do you have to go out again?" She asks quietly. She hates it when I leave. She's scared I won't come back.

"Actually, I've decided to let you come with me. I want to teach you a few basic hunting tricks. How does that sound?"

"Really?" She asks, jumping down from the counter and wrapping her arms around my waist, burying her face in my stomach. Her voice is muffled when she speaks. "You mean it?"

"Of course I mean it," I roll my eyes, placing my hand upon her head. "I couldn't lie to you even if I wanted to."

She giggles and looks up at me. "What do I bring?"

"I've got the gear in my room. You can carry the backpack and I'll carry the snares and weapons, okay?"

"Okay!" She nods happily. I look towards Darren and Gale's room. They still haven't come out. I look down at her.

"Can you go wake up Darren and Gale in the loudest way possible? I'll get the stuff." I smile when she darts down the hall, throwing open the door. I hear her shout "Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!" I laugh quietly. Someone says my name, and I look over to see Max. I cock my head to one side.

"What is it?" I ask, and she looks back at her flock, who are watching cautiously.

"Can we come with you to hunt? It's a good strategy and we want to help you guys," She says. I blink.

"Why?" I ask, and then realize it sounded rude. "Okay, not what I meant. I mean, why do you want to help us? Letting you stay here is just a favor."

"But we just want to."

I don't believe her. I look into her eyes and speak my thoughts aloud. It'll scare her, but I'm only telling her what will happen if they try anything.

"Fine, you can come,"I shrug nonchalantly, but leave my tone trailing off, indicating there's more to come. "But, if you try anyfunny business –and I mean _any_- I will not hesitate to at least shoot you in the arm, leg, or whatever. I might not kill you, but I will harm you. I care about my flock very much, and if I find out you're a threat, I will not hesitate to send a bullet straight into your skull. Got it?"

She looks taken aback but nods.

In her eyes, there is understanding. She knows the boundaries, and she won't cross them. I trust that. But it doesn't change the fact I _will not _vacillate when it comes to killing.

But, in her eyes, there's also warning. The warning clearly says "You hurt anyone in my flock, and _I_ won't hesitate to hurt _you_." I understand that, too.

Ryu hops back into the room, dragging two very sleepy boys with her. I raise my eyebrows at Darren, but he just smiles sheepishly. I nod at the kitchen and he straightens out, grabbing Gale's wrist and making his way toward the kitchen with Gale in tow. Ryu grabs my sleeve and looks up at me expectantly.

"Ah, right," I nod once at Maximum and her flock. "Maximum and her flock are coming. Is that okay?"

"Ye-"

"It's Max." Maximum cut in –rather rudely, mind you- with a frown. I sigh, shaking my head.

"_Max_ and her flock are coming." I correct myself a bit snidely.

"Okay." Ryu smiles. "You should get the hunting gear."

I nod once before heading down the hall. This is going to be a long hunt.

My senses are acute. The snap of a twig, the fall of a rock down the mountain side, any loud breathing, or even a splash in a nearby stream are enough to set me off and chuck the knife in that direction. At the moment, I am creeping in the shadows of a patch of trees surrounding the perimeter of a large lake. My mind is racing excitedly. They're _right there! _In front of me, out in the open, are two magnificent creatures. A deer and a doe. The deer has a nice, firm build and the doe looks fragile yet young, lively. Both are sipping gratefully –obliviously- from the lake. With me, I have two razor-sharp daggers and –just in case- a minute shotgun. I want to use the gun, but there are two, and with a gun it is impossible to shoot two animals at the same time. What to do?

"Ria," a small whisper reaches my ears, and I turn, seeing Ryu looking determined. She holds up the shotgun I'd given her –I still don't know what had driven me to give it to her- and points silently at the doe.

I know what she's telling me. '_I get the doe, you get the deer.' _She held up three fingers. '_On the count of three.'_ Is what she means.

I nod once, firmly, and direct my attention to my target.

"One," barely audible, Ryu begins the countdown.

"Two."

The deer and the doe are blissfully unaware of the catch.

"Three."

Two shots ring out at the same time, and both of our prey crumples to the grassy ground at the same time. Ryu and I rush forward and high five. We'll be eating great tonight. Next to me, Ryu is grinning.

"I did it!" She doesn't raise her voice from the low whisper, not quite knowing if it is okay. I smile back, nodding.

"Yes," I reply in normal octave, indicating it's alright. "You did amazing, Ryu. You had the perfect aim and you were the best amount of sly."

Ryu flushed happily.


	4. Chapter Four

**I UPDATED. I ROCK AT THAT HUH? :B**

* * *

Max's flock sits in nearby trees and surveys our glee. The moment is broken once I spot a cheshire grin hidden in the shadows only few feet behind Ryu.

"Ryu!" I snarl, shoving her out of the way as a claw swipes out from the shade. It catches me in the shoulder, and I give an involuntary cry. I get onto my knees, trying to push myself up. The flock has already jumped out of the tree and is on their way over. I look up into the unforgiving eyes of the Eraser. "Bastard." I spit. Then I realize something. "Wait- where the hell did you come from? We would've recognized you!" I have to choke the last part out in gasps, because the blood in my arm has drained dangerously.

"Oh, here, there." The Eraser grins nastily. "Everywhere. When you guys were at the school, those scientists had dulled your senses, so I wouldn't be surprised if I was standing right behind you and you didn't notice at first."

"You...!" I ground out, rising to my feet. Ryu is still sitting on the ground where I'd pushed her. She looks shell-shocked. An Eraser jumps out of the shadows –out of _nowhere_- and snatches my Ryu, grabbing the back of her shirt and stabbing a syringe into her neck. She gives a small yelp before wilting and being tossed over the Eraser's shoulder like a potato bag.

I hear Ryu sob. "Lemme go!" But she doesn't move. Paralyzer.

Without a word I launch myself at the Eraser holding Ryu, and am knocked to the side by two more hellhounds. They keep coming. As I'm lifted easily, I catch a glimpse of Max being thrown far into the forest and her flock being carried away, just like my Ryu. With a grunt, the Erasers holding me tossed me into a large, sap covered tree. I can't get back up. My senses are –as the Eraser said- dead.

I've failed Ryu. I let the school get her.

I glance over at Max with all of the strength I have and notice with a shock she's alone, too. Her flock has been taken, as well.

* * *

The house is silent. No small, pattering feet, no complaining, whiny voice, nothing. Everyone has been taken. The silence hurts my ears. Max and I exchange a glance, and hers says 'look what you did, you stupid idiot!' Something inside me snaps.

"You think this is my fault?" I ask harshly, and her eyes narrow. "Your flock has been taken, too! Stop staring at me with that look. You know we're both at fault."

"But we're the ones who were on lookout while you two goofed off." Max protests angrily.

"Lookout?" I exclaim, staring at her incredously. "You said you wanted to help us! Don't go blaming this on me. Don't you even dare." I take a breath, going into leadership mode. "Okay, so here's what we're going to do-"

"Excuse me?" Max sounds awe-struck. "What _we're _going to do? I want no part of whatever you or your flock is doing."

I feel like I've been slapped. "Fine! Go your own way and get killed. See what I care. Right now, I have a flock to rescue." I turn on my heel, halfway to the door, when I stop in confusion. "Wait a second. This is _my_ house." I spin toward her, seeing she's already got the picture. She walks past me, grabbing the knob. She turns and glares at me.

"You better not die. For their sake." Max grounds out. "If you die, they'll have no one else to follow. I honestly don't care wether or not you do or don't die, but for their sake, don't. It'll only cause problems." She turns and sprints out the door, leaping right off the porch. I don't watch her go. I turn, go to the fridge, grab a tub of pecan ice cream, and sit myself on the couch, glaring at the opposite wall. I wonder where she'll go, and some part of me -the part I hate the most- feels guilty. I violently stab the icecream with the spoon, shoving a large scoop into my mouth.

Time to think of a plan.


End file.
